A Super Bowl! (of Guacamole)

Are you a "good cook"? What makes someone a good cook? Most bad cooks know they are bad, and they don't mind admitting it. I think I'm a decent cook. I love trying new things; results are... mixed. Most are edible; many will never be prepared again.

If you want to choose a specific category, there is one in which I excel: Guacamole. I make great guacamole! People who HATE guacamole LOVE mine! Children who won't eat anything green simply inhale my guacamole. I'm going to share my recipe with you today.

I know there are many variations. You can mash an avocado and dump in some salsa... voila! Guacamole! But if you want something fresh and delicious, try this one. Here is my one piece of advice: make it your own. If you hate tomatoes, leave them out. If you only have red bell peppers and no green, use red. Yes, you can use lemon juice instead of lime juice, if you must. As long as you follow the basic steps, my guac is your guac. I must add one more thing: I love cilantro, Mike HATES cilantro. I don't add it to guacamole for family consumption, but if I'm home alone... well, that one time I was home alone, and decided to have chips and guac for dinner, I did add cilantro and relished it!!

Here ya go!

Mince some onion, about 2 Tbs., + or -. Mince it really small, and put it in a bowl. Add some salt, about 1 tsp. Using the back of a spoon, mash the salt into the onion until it is all mushy and the onion sweats and it's pretty liquidy. Add 2 avocadoes. Using a fork, mash the avocadoes well, mixing with the onion and salt. This is the basis for your excellent guacamole. Next add one diced jalapeno (or to taste), 1/2 diced bell pepper, 1 large clove of garlic, minced, and some finely diced tomatoes, as much as you'd like. Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lime. Mix it all well, with a spoon. Add chips and you've got a party!

I have another knitting project to share. This is the "Luxe Neckwarmer" from Knit 2 Together by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark. I love this project. It's simple and quick to knit; a basic "feather and fan" pattern. Using kind of big needles and fairly thin yarn, it's fun to knit. The finished product is so warm and so practical. It gives you the warmth of a scarf without worrying about the tails dragging in your soup. It's perfect for indoor wear and adds a touch to any outfit. I'm going to show you some photos. Okay, the one where I am wearing it DOES kind of look like I have a neck brace on, but I do not. I was trying to show the neckwarmer at its best angle, which wasn't the best angle for me. Oh, well.